The main accessory at IDS18

So what was the main accessory that you saw everywhere at IDS18?

It was plants, plants and more plants!  Take a look at just a few of them and get your gardening gloves out.

IDS18

Somehow, I missed the name of this booth, if you know it, please let me know and I’ll add it in.

Seedlip

The Seedlip booth had the most beautiful botanicals and they received lots of attention.

Seedlip

Mobilia’s booth was divided up into different rooms with different themes and it was a stunner. Here’s just a few pics from a couple of the rooms, with lots of green!

Mobilia

And how about these interesting globe lights on stands. Perfect to light up a dark corner.

Mobilia

A little nod back to the 70’s in this vignette, with those hanging plants and a shaggy throw pillow.

And my favourite booth, Benjamin Moore’s living space, had lots of greenery and an especially cute little clementine tree. Now I want one. I wonder how long it takes to actually get fruit that you can eat, assuming of course, it survives.

Benjamin Moore ids18

Homebody Collective had the cutest little cactuses and airplants displayed. The bottom containers are actually moulded from avocado skins.

Decimal

I couldn’t resist and came home with these two. They can be placed on their sides and used as a ring holder as well. I love a multi-purpose!

Homebody Collective

 

Lisa

Lighting at IDS18

Lighting is always a big feature at IDS and this year was no exception. Here’s a few of my favourites.

Biefbi Cucine

These gossamer cloud like pendants were so beautiful IRL, they just looked like they were floating up in the air. Here’s another look at them. The whole Biefbi Cucine booth was beautiful in fact, a dream kitchen!

Biefbi Cucine

From Cofo design, an original chandelier, again that was airy and cloud like. Cofo design

These are 3D printed lights from Decimal. So light and sculptural. Do you see the trend in all these lights,  all are inspired by clouds and light and airy. Not heavy at all and made of alternative materials.

Decimal

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Don’t forget your lighting, it can be your light source and your art all in one!

Lisa

Handmade at IDS18’s Studio North

The 70’s influence was definitely being revisited in the decor at IDS18. Handmade and bespoke items are still being showcased and Studio North is the perfect place to see what’s next in design.

Large scale knitted upholstery and macrame rugs, lights and art were the key features at these booths. These lights are totally familiar to me, as they are very similar to one I had myself as a teenager. Totally dating myself…..

ids18 Studio North ids18 Studio North

I missed the names of these booths, so if anyone knows, please message me and I’ll add the credit.

Atelier C.U.B.

Custom leather and wood stools and leather tent shaped lighting was featured at Atelier C.U.B.

Gypsy Potter Studio

Gypsy Potter Studio had beautifully patterned pottery on display. Would you believe horsehair is used to create most of the designs? It is placed on the pottery before firing and it is a surprise as to how the final product will look.

Dusil Design

Dusil Design had these stunning barn doors that have been embellished with metal sculpture. Amazing!

Locus VIE & Hidraulik

Locus VIE & Hidraulik showcased their beautiful floorcloths, which are made to look like concrete tiles. They also did placemats in these designs. So pretty and practical!

And of course there was this unbelievable rug from W Studio. I was there and it’s still hard for me to believe it was a rug.

W Studio

Lisa

 

 

IDS18 observations

I’m just back from Toronto’s Interior Design Show (IDS18) that was held last weekend. And I thought I’d share a few of my observations about the show over the next while.

For me, the Benjamin Moore booth totally summed up the show and what’s happening in decor at the moment. It had the pattern (in the tiled floor and the fireplace), the neutral and jewel tones (in the furnishings and artwork), and the greenery that was everywhere. And it was eclectic, the envelope of the room was traditional with the black and white checked floor and panelled wall treatment, the fireplace was mediterranean inspired and the furnishings were all mid-century modern.

Benjamin Moore ids18

Benjamin Moore ids18

Benjamin Moore ids18

Could you live in this space? I certainly could.

Lisa

 

A trip to Berlin, Germany

We just got back from an European trip and it was soooo wonderful. I love Europe, it’s history, it’s old, interesting buildings, streets and I would happily travel there every year.

We travelled via a bus tour, our first time and it was really great. No worrying about schedules (someone else did that for us), traffic, directions or parking. But we had alot of time on our own, which made us very happy.  All in all, it was a very stressless holiday.

The itinerary was Berlin, Prague, Vienna and Budapest. And with a few town/cities in between the major stops.

Today, I’m sharing Berlin, which was our first stop and where we stayed for 3 nights.

I wasn’t overly excited about visiting Berlin, but the closer it got, and the more I read about it, the more intrigued I got. I had just finished reading Ken Follett’s series on the WWII, in the summer, so that was a good history refresher for me.

We arrived after the loooonnng overnight flight and jumped on our bus to get to our hotel. We stayed on the Western side of Berlin and I loved our hotel.  Here’s a few pics from the lobby and our room. The bathroom was very funky with it’s overscaled art on the glass door.

H10 Berlin Ku'Damm       H10 Berlin Ku'Damm

H10 Berlin Ku'Damm    H10 Berlin Ku'Damm

On the way to the hotel, the history lessons started when we stopped at the Olympic Stadium where the 1936 Olympics were held.

Olympic Stadium Berlin

That night we met up with our fellow travellers for dinner and to get acquainted. The next morning we started off with a bus tour of the city for the morning. A great way to get your bearings in a new city and we saw the double row of bricks that designate where the Berlin Wall had stood.

Berlin wall

We also walked along the part of the wall that is still standing. It has been graffitied and beautified by art. The wall ran pretty much along the side of the Spree river, which divides the city in the two parts.

Berlin Wall Berlin wall

Not far from the remaining parts of the Wall is the Oberbaum Bridge which is an amazing red bricked double deck bridge that crosses the Spree (built in 1894).

Oberbaum bridge

We visited the Brandenburg Gate and saw Bellevue Palace (the residence of the German President) and also Berlin’s Konzerhaus (Concert hall) where a busker was blowing huge bubbles to the delight of many kids and adults.

Brandenburg gate

Berlin concert hall

Checkpoint Charlie was another stop and I have to recommend the museum at the checkpoint, it seemed a little small and gimmicky when we first went in, but it actually was huge, it just goes on and on, and we easily could have spent half a day there. So many stories on how German’s coped during the war and how some managed to escape East Berlin and some that didn’t.

Checkpoint charlie

We then visited the Holocaust Monument, (also known as the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe), it is a stark and cold place. The artist did not give any explanation for the monument so we are left to interpret it on our own. I think he meant us to feel stark, cold and alone. The long tunnels and maze like structure were built to allow us to feel what it is like to be caught in a maze and to keep trying to get free and into the light.

Holocaust Monument, Berlin Holocaust Monument, Berlin

Literally a block and a half away from this monument is the site of Hitler’s bunker, where he committed suicide. There is no building or even a plaque on this site, it is a parking lot. The only way you know it was there is there is a sign describing what had lain beneath the concrete.  It felt like, Germany has vowed to not let any of these sites become a memorial to him.

Hitler's bunker site

We also went down the huge boulevards that run throughout Berlin and saw typical communist apartment buildings, that were built during the 50’s – 80’s.

Berlin

Berlin

On a lighter note, we also visited Charlottenburg Palace, the German palace that was modelled on Versailles. If you’ve been to Versailles, you’ll see the similarities in these pictures. The grounds were also beautiful but at that point, our feet were done, so we didn’t do too much exploring of it.  I’m thinking I’ll do a full post on this palace at a later date as the flooring and chandeliers were Ah Mazing!

Charlottenburg palace

Charlottenburg Palace Charlottenburg Palace Charlottenburg palace

We also stopped into the sixth floor of the KaDeWe mall that is legendary in Europe for it’s amazing selection of any type of food and drink that you could desire. We of course, bought some amazing pastry to enjoy.

KaDeWe

KaDeWe

The Sony Centre is another cool sight in a city that doesn’t stop.

Sony centre

Did I mention that the bars in Berlin have no closing hours and also you can walk along the street with your beer or alcoholic drink of choice with no issues? It’s definitely a party city for the young and the young at hearts.

We also saw these crate sofas…. crate beds??? in at least two places in the city. (I’ve blurred out the faces as best I could).

crate sofas crate beds

Bears are everywhere, sort of a Germany’s mascot, they are often standing on their heads and are always painted in interesting colours and designs. Art and creativity are everywhere in Berlin.

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There is also Museum Island, which comprises 5 different museums. We didn’t get to all five, but we did manage to get to the Pergamon which is one of the most famous ones. It houses classical antiquities, such as  archaeological treasures such as:

the Market Gate of Miletus, it has reconstructed from the ruins found in the Middle East.

Pergamon museum

And the Ishtar Gate of Babylon also reconstructed from ruins. Pergamon museum

The last day we were there we went on a boat cruise on the Spree river and it was a fabulous way to see the city. I took way, way too many pictures of the Berlin Cathedral as it was just so photogenic.

Reichstag from Spree river Boat cruise, Spree river

Boat cruise Berlin Cathedral

That night we also saw the Reichstag dome. This is the glass dome at the top of their Parliament building. After you get to the top by elevator, you read the history of their government, by circling around the centre column. Once that is done, you can walk up the long, twisting ramp to get to the outdoor viewing area and are treated to an amazing view of the city. It was pretty spectacular to do this at night.

Reichstag

Reichstag Reichstag

Reichstag

The blue seats you see below are their parliament seats.

We ate well in Berlin and enjoyed their very welcoming citizens. People were always quick to help and get us going in the right direction when we looked lost. We enjoyed a couple of hours lounging in this very casual and cool bar, right on the side of the Spree river, near the Island Museums, where we were serenaded by talented musicians. I could have happily stayed there for another few hours.

bar on the banks of the Spree river

And one last beautiful photo of the Cathedral.

Berlin Cathedral

Berlin surprised me with it’s beauty, creativity and history and I’d definitely go back in a heartbeat. So if you get the chance to visit, go.

Lisa